Stones of Old
by hime7757k
Summary: Dan escaped, and in an attempt to get revenge on his younger self he released an ancient evil powerful enough to destroy worlds. Or at least, he tried. He managed to free the ghosts that made up the seal, but with them gone, the seal grows weaker day by day. Now, Danny and his friends must team up with old enemies to capture the escaped ghosts, or darkness will fall on both worlds.
1. Chapter 1: Escape

**Dipping my toes into another one of my interests ^^**

 **So, basically, in this, Phantom Planet never happened, and this is a bit after D-Stabilized**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1: Escape

He drifted through the air, not bothering with paying attention to the direction he was going. He knew the Ghost Zone like the back of his hand. Grimacing as he watched the usual green backdrop of his home darken to black, he picked up speed and zipped forward.

Something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

Reaching his destination, he tilted his head to view the damage. This wasn't good. With the amount of manage, _he_ could break free anytime. _He_ would return to wreak havoc.

"You are late."

"I never wanted to come to begin with," he replied angrily. "What happened here?"

"We warned you," the Observants replied. "We told you to watch the future carefully, and yet this happens."

"Yes, yes, this is all my fault, happy?" the bearded old man replied, floating closer to view the extent of the damage to the chains. Several had fallen and corroded away, weakening the seal that kept _him_ inside. "Now, will one of you floating eyeballs tell me. What. Happened."

Looking slightly offended (or as offended as a giant eyeball could look), one of the Observants lifted a clawed hand and pointed to the air. "Your carelessness has led us disaster."

An image, almost like a mirage, shimmered into view. He could see flames, white flames. A familiar evil cackle rang through the image as several powerful ectoplasmic blasts smashed against the chains. A giant crack echoed through the dark skies before seven bright lights streaked through, lighting up the dark skies. The seven lights danced around, gleefully cackling, then turned and streaked away into the Ghost Zone. The image cut off with a pair of blood red eyes, staring at him, goading him to try to fix things this time.

"How could you let him escape?" the other Observant fumed. "Your task was to watch him, keep him from causing more harm. And now he's doomed us all."

The baby did not reply. He was deep in his chaotic thoughts. He hadn't seen this happen. He saw everything, but did not see the most dangerous ghost of the Ghost Zone escape. And he especially didn't see him do something as stupid as this.

"Fix it," the Observant that showed the mirage demanded. "As we have stated before, we simply observe."

"And I do all the dirty work," the baby finished sourly. "I need to tell the boy."

"Do what you must," the Observants said together. "However, if you fail to contain this situation, it will mean the end of worlds, ours and the human's." With that, they shimmered and disappeared.

"Thank you for that happy note," he muttered after they left. Drifting closer to the wreckage, he examined the blast marks on the gate. _Why didn't I see it?_ he wondered. He was careful to watch the thermos carefully, make sure that with each passing day, that he didn't escape. Although the metal had been severely dented from all the attempts, he was still contained. There was no way he could have escaped.

Unless somebody let him out.

Sighing, the old man teleported himself back to his lair. He would worry about betrayal later. Right now, he had worse things to worry about.

Thanks to Dan, the seal was extremely weak. Weak enough that seven of the smaller contained ghosts managed to escape. Thankfully, _he_ hadn't escaped, but if the seal weakened anymore, it could happen any day now.

He hated this feeling. The feeling of being out of control. He, the Master of Time, should know the outcome of every event, every decision, every choice. Yet, Dan had somehow managed to slip out from his grasps and not only completely rearranged the future outcomes, but also kept him from seeing any of it. As of now, he couldn't tell what would happen, if _he_ would escape and reign terror on the worlds, or if someone would stop this tragedy.

Of course, he already had that "someone" in mind. The boy was young, but he was the only hope they had. Half human, half ghost, one foot in each world. If anyone could stop the bleak future from occurring, it would be him.

But even then, he had his doubts. After all, the child was just a fifteen-year-old boy, still figuring out his powers and his identity with each passing day. And if _he_ really got out…

Clockwork felt something he had not felt in a long time. Fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of not knowing. Fear of not being able to see the outcomes.

Sighing, he waved his staff, creating a portal to the other world. Time to drop the boy a visit.

* * *

 **As a celebration for recently getting back into one of my favorite childhood cartoons (heartbreaking that they ended it TvT), I decided to try out a story for it~**

 **Review with what you think~ If you have any ideas with what you think I can add to make it better or more interesting, go ahead and include that if you'd like. Feedback is greatly appreciated ^^**


	2. Chapter 2: Nervous

Chapter 2: Nervous

"Mr. Fenton, I understand you have no appreciation for the great artists of our past, but would you _please try to stay awake_?"

Daniel Fenton drowsily lifted his head off his desk, blinking as his teacher walked away angrily. He sighed, picking up his pencil and stared at his blank paper, originally meant for note taking. His best friends, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley, threw him several concerned glances. Although they understood why Danny didn't care for Lancer's class, he would usually at least feign some interest while the teacher lectured.

"Anyways, as I was saying before Mr. Fenton decided to take an afternoon nap," Mr. Lancer continued, "don't forget the Halloween Dance is in two weeks and the paper on Dante's _Inferno_ is due next Thursday. Any questions?" A sea of blank sophomore faces stared back. "Well then," Lancer sighed, closing his book and placing it on his desk, "have a safe weekend and class dismissed."

The students all abruptly stood, loudly chattering as they made their ways out of the room. The jocks and cheerleaders laughed obnoxiously, some purposefully hitting Danny and his friends' books to the floor as they walked out. They boasted of their weekend plans, Paulina going to a spa, Dash going on a camping trip with his family, Kwan visiting his grandmother in another city, et cetera, et cetera… Grumbling as they picked up their spilled books, the gang didn't notice the teacher as he approached them.

"Mr. Fenton, a word?" Lancer said, gesturing to his desk.

Throwing a confused glance at his friends, he quickly shoved all his material into his backpack. Waving them away and gesturing a "wait for me outside," he walked to his teacher, who was seated at his desk, waiting.

"Daniel," Lancer began. "Is something bothering you?"

Danny froze. "I don't know what you mean," he replied slowly.

"You've been extremely distracted as of late," Lancer sighed. "Your attendance close to never showing up, and when you do, you sleep through all your lessons," Danny looked down sheepishly, "Your grades are dropping, and I feel as though I see you in detention daily. As a teacher, it is my duty to ensure that you pass high school. However, I need your cooperation. So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, a little too quickly. His teacher raised a brow, unconvinced. "I appreciate you worrying, Mr. Lancer," he sighed, "but the things I'm going through are… kinda hard to explain."

"Alright, I suppose," the teacher sighed. "Just remember, if you ever need someone to talk with, I'm always here to listen."

"Got it," Danny said gratefully. "Have a nice weekend, Mr. Lancer!"

"Finish your essay, Mr. Fenton," was the reply he received.

Hurrying out of the classroom, he saw his friends standing by the door, waiting for him. Seeing him walk out of the room, Sam looked at him quizzically, asking, "So what's up? What did Lancer want?"

"Nothing," Danny sighed. "He just saw that I was kinda out of it and asked if anything was bugging me."

"Yea, what's up with that, dude," Tucker interjected. "You've been really _really_ out of it this entire week!"

"Sorry guys, I'm just tired," Danny yawned. "After Dani left, Vlad hasn't made any moves on getting even. I don't even want to know what that crazy fruit loop could be planning."

"Hey, maybe he finally realized that he's no match for team Phantom," Tucker said sympathetically. "About time, too," he scoffed, flexing his nonexistent muscles. "Otherwise, he would get himself in a world of hurt."

"Right," Sam snorted sarcastically, pushing the doors of the school open. "Because Vlad Masters, billionaire criminal mastermind and town mayor would tremble in fear at the power of three teenagers."

"You never know," Tucker shrugged. "Right, dude?"

"Huh? Oh… yeah…" Danny replied absentmindedly. "Listen, I'm just gonna go home okay? Hang out this weekend?"

"Sure, I guess," Sam looked worried again. "Do you want us to walk you back? It looks like it's about to rain soon and-"

"No, I'm fine," Danny cut in quickly. Guilt flooded him for interrupting his best friend, but he really needed to go. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" Without waiting for their reply, he turned and briskly walked away.

Sam and Tucker looked at each other, the same thought swimming through their head. They needed to give their friend some space, until he was willing to come and talk with them. Shrugging, they turned to walk the opposite direction. After all, only time would tell.

* * *

Walking alone, Danny shivered as a particularly cold breeze wrapped around him. He honestly didn't know why he was so nervous lately. At night, every small noise would set him on edge, be it a pebble getting blown around outside or the creak of the floorboard (most likely his dad getting up to look for his midnight stash of fudge). It usually ended with him not getting an ounce of sleep, or when he did, nightmares would plague him continuously. That haunting laugh would echo around him, taunting him to take action. Yet every time he turned, no one would be there.

Of course, all this took a toll on his everyday life. As Lancer had said, he would fall asleep in class, only to be jerked back to reality by a very mad teacher. The attendance, on the other hand, was a complete other story.

He quickly scanned his surroundings, looking for any stray pedestrian. Other than a kindly old lady walking her dog a few blocks down, the streets were all empty. All the citizens of Amity Park were probably at home, hiding from the bad chill that was blowing around town. Running into an alley, he closed his eyes and let the familiar icy feeling overtake him.

A flash of white light later, Danny Phantom took the spot where Danny Fenton had just been standing. Launching himself into the air, he felt a shiver go down his back. Not the "ghost sense" shiver, but the feeling you get when someone is watching you. Spinning around, all guards in high alert, he tensed when he saw no one. Not a single soul was present. The old lady had long since disappeared.

Shaking his head, half to clear his thoughts and half to shake off the feeling, he lazily drifted through the air, following his route to get home. For some strange reason, the ghost activity increased as of late. Ghosts that usually never came out suddenly decided it was a good idea to terrorize the small town. Danny was sure he had sent Skulker back to the Ghost Zone almost a million times by now. And each time he warned them to never intrude on his turf again, they didn't listen. You'd think that after saving the Ghost Zone from being blown to bits by the dumbasses in white, they'd listen to him a bit more.

Halfway home, he froze. It was that feeling again. The feeling of being watched. Not daring to turn around, he gradually picked up speed until he was flying at almost 50 miles per hour. The feeling never left.

Landing in the alley by his home, he quickly changed back to his human form and ran towards the door. The feeling was growing stronger, and it felt closer for some odd reason. Slamming the door behind him, he let out a deep breath and slid down to the floor, thankful to be home. Letting his backpack flop down next to him, he simply sat there, back pressed against the front door and eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, he cracked one eye open. The familiar blue jumpsuit immediately gave away who it was.

"Hey, honey, how was school?" Maddie Fenton asked, squatting down next to her son and brushing his long bangs back, planting a light kiss on his forehead. The one thing he could appreciate about his mother, besides her wanting to tear him apart molecule by molecule, was that she didn't ask questions. Asides from the usual, "how was your day," and "learn anything new today," she never needed to know anything else. Of course, it could just be her mom powers telling her that something was bugging her son, and he most likely didn't want to talk about it (cuz she would be 100% right if that was the case).

"Glad it's the weekend," Danny sighed truthfully. "When's Jazz getting home?"

"You're father is picking her up now," his mother replied, carefully getting up and patting of the dust on her jumpsuit. "Her car broke down a few days ago… are you hungry, dear? Want anything to eat?"

"No, I'm fine," Danny said quickly, pushing himself off the floor. "Actually, I'm kinda tired. I'm gonna take a quick nap, is that okay?"

"Whatever you need, honey," Maddie said. "I'll be right down stairs if you want anything, alright?"

"Thanks, mom," Danny breathed gratefully. Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, he grabbed his bag and climbed the stairs to his room. Although a nap sounded amazing, noting from previous nights, Danny was sure he wouldn't be able to sleep this time either.

* * *

Watching her child retreat into his room, Maddie Fenton sighed. She knew something was bothering Danny. He looked like he hadn't had a proper night's rest in months.

She didn't know when it started. One day, he had gone from being the usual cheerful child that she had always known and loved to looking worried 24/7. Dark bags clung to the bottom of his eyes and he always looked like he had something on his mind.

He wouldn't tell her.

There was no way he would tell her.

Although she didn't know everything that went on in his life, she knew that he and his sister were hiding something from her. Something big.

But, she would wait. If he wasn't ready to tell her, then she wouldn't pressure him. She just wanted her usual happy boy back. Sighing, she turned and walked back to the kitchen. Jack and Jazz could be back anytime now, and at least one of them would be famished. She might as well begin dinner to get her mind off her troubled younger child.

* * *

Danny collapsed on his soft mattress, letting out a sigh of relief. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep for a million years, but it was like his senses were put on hyper drive. When the wind rustled the leaves, he felt like he was jolted by electricity. When a car would drive by, his ears would ring. And even in the confines of his own bedroom, he could feel the eyes of some unknown enemy trained on his back. Ready for him to drop his guard. Waiting for him to show weakness…

Wrapping himself up in his thick comforter, he squeezed his eyes closed, trying to will all the noises away. He didn't know why he felt so nervous, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it.

* * *

Clockwork opened up his portal, making sure to freeze time as he did. Seeing the boy's messy room again was somewhat comforting.

Speaking of which… where was the boy? He looked around, stroking his long beard thoughtfully. Spotting the blanket and the noticeable lump underneath it, Clockwork chuckled and pulled away the comforter a bit. The boy's face emerged from the fabric, and although he wasn't asleep, Clockwork could tell that his young friend was tired.

Quickly looping a medallion around the boy's neck, he prepared himself for the surprise that was sure to come from his arrival. As he predicted, the moment the medallion rested around his skin, Danny's eyes flew open.

"Wha-what?" he stuttered, looking around in a flurry. He shoved the blanket off his body, confusion written clearly on his young face as he saw the frozen clock by his bed. "What's going on?"

"Hello, Danny," Clockwork, now in his adult form. "Remember me?"

"Clockwork?" the young halfa asked. "What are you doing here?" Getting out of bed, he worriedly said, "If this is about what happened last time with dad, then I'm sorry, I didn't know it would-"

"No, no, this isn't about that," Clockwork waved his hands to cut off his young friend. "If only it were that simple… this time it's infinitely worse."

"Why, what happened?"

"I'm going to assume, that for the past few weeks, you've been feeling stressed, nervous even. Like you're constantly being watched and followed."

"Actually, yeah," Danny replied, slightly bemused at how Clockwork could possibly know all this. "Why, what's going on?"

"I'm sure you remember our… first adventure together," Clockwork began slowly.

"Of course," the halfa said still confused. "You tried to kill me, sent a bunch of weird hybrid future ghosts to try, then I accidentally took Sam and Tuck to the future where we met-" He stopped. "We met…"

"Yes," Clockwork concluded solemnly. "I'm not sure how he did it, but he is a lot more dangerous, especially since he's out of the time stream."

"How," Danny asked hoarsely. "How did he-"

"I don't know," Clockwork was obviously mad, mad that he didn't know and that he couldn't see. "However, now that he is out of the time stream, he can do whatever he wants to you without worrying about how that could affect his future."

"Then all those feelings," he muttered. "All those times I thought someone was watching me. At night when I couldn't sleep because something was there… that was all Dan?" Anger and fear coursed through his body. "I thought you were watching him!" Danny hissed. "How could he have escaped?"

"I'm really sorry, Danny, but I don't know," Clockwork replied, annoyed. "Either he managed to gain enough strength to break out of the thermos, or somebody released him."

"Who would release Dan?" Danny rasped. "He's literally one of the worst ghosts that could ever exist."

"Careful, child," Clockwork warned. "That's your future self you're talking about."

"That _was_ my future," Danny replied angrily. "But I changed that. I'll never turn into him. As long as Vlad never makes those stupid gloves-"

"It's not that simple, Danny," Clockwork sighed. "All you did was change one outcome. You changed the most likely outcome of you becoming Dan, but there are still many ways that that will be your future. And Dan knows that."

"What can he do?" Danny scoffed. "I beat him once, and I can do it again."

"There's something you should see," Clockwork said uneasily. It was the first time Danny had ever seen the time master look so unsure. And it made him worried. "There isn't much time to waste, we should get going."

Danny nodded, still worried. When the Master of Time tells you there isn't much time, that's when you need to start worrying. Quickly changing to his ghost form, he nodded. "Let's go."

The time master, now in his child form, smiled grimly and waved his staff. Wordlessly, he floated through the purple portal. Danny took one last look at his messy room, from the old computer on his desk to the rocket model he had built when he was younger. For some reason, he felt as though he wouldn't be home for a while. Sighing one last time, he lifted off the floor and darted through the portal. He couldn't keep Clockwork waiting any longer.


	3. Chapter 3: Time's Out

Chapter 3: Time's Out

Seeing the familiar green glow of the Ghost Zone was oddly comforting to the halfa. He wasn't sure when it began, but recently this other world was beginning to feel like a second home. However, considering that he literally had one foot in each world, it was to be expected.

Clockwork was waiting for him near a floating island Danny had never seen before. They were in some part of the Ghost Zone that Danny had yet to finish mapping with his friends. Drifting over to the time master, he was slightly surprised to see an old friend.

"Hello, Great One," a furry, yeti-looking ghost with an arm made of ice greeted him. "It is unfortunate that we keep meeting in such unfortunate circumstances."

"Frostbite?" Now Danny was really confused. "What're you doing here?"

"I, unfortunately, have another matter to attend to," the old time ghost said. "Frostbite will lead you on from here." Giving a small nod to the ice ghost, he transformed into his baby form, and with a wave of his staff, disappeared.

"Come," Frostbite ushered Danny forward. "We must hurry."

"Why? What's going on?" Danny asked, slightly annoyed. "Would someone just tell me what's going on?"

"I will explain on the way, Great One," Frostbite promised. "Now make hast. We have much to travel and little time to dawdle."

* * *

"Where are we?" Danny shivered, looking around uncomfortably as the usual eerie green glow of the Ghost Zone melted away to pitch black. Had it not been for the natural glow that came from their ghost forms, the two would have been swallowed by utter darkness.

"A vile place, Great One," Frostbite replied grimly. "One that is as old as time itself."

Still confused, and more than a little annoyed that he was only being answered in riddles, he visibly shuddered as they passed an island that oddly resembled a cage. Although the top itself was open, there were several pillars that stood on the outer edges, almost as though they were there to hold something in. "Why are we flying through such a scary place?" he mumbled, half to himself.

"I apologize," Frostbite said sympathetically. "These are the catacombs. This area is only reserved for especially dangerous ghosts. Ancient evils that have the power to destroy both worlds."

"But what does that have to do with me?" Danny asked, flinching as he heard a screech somewhere in the distance. "Shouldn't I be worrying about Dan right now?"

"Ahh, yes," the ice ghost nodded. "Do not fret, Great One. Your future self will be caught in time."

"He is _not_ my future self," Dany snapped back. "He _was_ , but not anymore. There's no way I will turn into that. _Ever_."

Frostbite gave him a strange look. Danny couldn't tell what it was, but it almost looked like pity. Before he could ponder over it anymore, his furry friend solemnly announced, "We're here."

* * *

Danny landed next to Frostbite, staring at the giant wall before him. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to be. It looked like a giant door, built to contain something seriously big inside. There were multiple cracks and impact craters along the front, as though someone had been throwing comets at the stone. One particularly big crack was split near the top, allowing just enough space for a smaller person to fit through. Danny didn't even want to think about going in. Whatever was inside was almost radiating off bad vibes. He could feel it through the thick stone wall.

"What is this," he asked nervously, looking around cautiously. The feeling of being watched was back.

"This," Frostbite replied somberly, "is Ragnarok."

"Ragnarok?" Danny scoffed incredulously. "Like the Norse dooms day?" He knew listening to Sam when she was researching Norse mythology for a school project would come in handy some day.

"Yes," Frostbite confirmed. "At least, that is the tale in the human world. In our world, he is a fearsome beast of a ghost that can destroy half the Ghost Zone with a single sweep of his hand. Some say he is older than the Great Time Master himself."

"So why am I here?" Danny pressed. There was really nothing he could do to ensure that this almighty ghost could remain enclosed behind those stone gates if it was really as powerful as Frostbite made him out to be. Besides, he had more pressing issues on mind at the moment. "And why's the gate look so busted up?" he wondered out loud.

"For that," the yeti-like ghost growled, "we have your future self to thank."

" _Dan_ ," the halfa snapped. He didn't mean to sound rude, but he really wanted nothing to do with his would be future. "His name is Dan. He's out of the time stream, so there's no way I'll turn out like that."

"Yes, well... _Dan_ ," Frostbite sighed, "escaped a few nights ago. We have yet to make sight of him, as he has kept himself hidden quite well. However, we do know that the moment he escaped, he came here and tried to release Ragnarok."

"If this ghost is really as bad as you say he is," Danny said carefully, "then why would Dan try to release it? I mean, he's not stupid, he knows when he's taking a risk, and this is beyond the usual level of risky he would cross." Whoa. Thinking like him. Not good.

"You are right," the ice ghost agreed. "This has us all baffled as well. As you can see," he gestured to the cracks and damages on the wall, "he succeeded in breaking down some of the gate that seals Ragnarok in. Fortunately, Ragnarok still sleeps, but the damage has allowed the smaller ghosts that make up the seal to escape."

"What," Danny balked. "You're telling me… that Dan didn't break down the wall, but still managed to release a few other ghosts?"

"Not just a few, Great One," Frostbite warned, shaking his hand dismissively. "He released seven. These seven combined have the power to keep Ragnarok in his slumber, but now that they are gone, it is bound to be soon that he awakens."

"So you sealed up a ghost by locking him up with seven other sealed ghosts?"

"Correct."

"Look," Danny sighed, running a hand tiredly through his snowy locks, "Let's just get to the part where you tell me how to capture these guys, alright? I'll bring them back, then find Dan and make sure he gets thrown to the deepest pits of space."

"It is not that simple, Great One," Frostbite sighed. "The Seven that were locked are not just any seven ghosts. They are the worst and most violent of our kind."

"I had to battle Pariah Dark and face off against my jerky older self who decided to reign ten years of terror over the human race," Danny scoffed, crossing his arms. "I'm sure I can handle seven more."

"These seven cannot be bribed," the ice ghost warned. "They can only be sealed in special stones. And they will not come willingly."

"So who do I have to look for?" the half ghost smirked.

"The ghosts you are looking for," Frostbite looked down grimly, "are the original Seven Deadly Sins."

* * *

"Mom, I'm home!"

"In the kitchen, Sweetie!" Maddie called out, eyes not leaving the apple she was cutting into slices. She didn't need a cut on her fingers now, thank you very much.

Excited footsteps bounded towards the kitchen. Jasmine Fenton pranced into the room, dropping her bag by the table to give her mother a hug and a kiss. "How's everything at home? Any ghost attacks recently?"

"Ghosts?" an excited voice thundered from behind the two women. "Where! I'll tear it apart molecule by molecule!"

"There's no ghost here, dad, I was just asking a question," Jazz sighed.

"Oh, fudge," Jack Fenton sat down dejectedly. "I wanted to finally test out this baby," he pouted, patting the side of his newest gadget. "I call it the Fenton-"

"Honey, why don't you go wake your brother up for dinner?" Maddie offered quickly. "Jack, I made some more fudge for you, dear. It's in the fridge."

"FUDGE!" The burly orange suited man immediately forgot about his new invention.

"Yeah, sure," Jazz shrugged, grabbing her bag to dump in her own room. "Be right back." She bounced up the stairs to her brother's room, rolling her eyes at her father's ecstatic shouts of glee at the fresh batch of fudge her mother had made. "Danny?" she called softly through her brother's door, knocking gently on the old wood. "You awake? Mom says dinner is ready."

No response.

Jazz frowned. Sure, Danny was a heavy sleeper, but he usually woke up at the smallest sounds (blame it on his enhanced hearing after the accident). A small knock should have sent him scrambling for the door by now.

Twisting the handle of his door, she quietly opened it to enter his room. "Danny?"

* * *

"The Sins?" Danny scoffed and crossed his arms. "Like greed and pride and all that?"

"Do not take them lightly, Great One," Frostbite cautioned. "As little as they may seem, with their release, they can throw your human world into utter chaos. They can whisper into the ears of the weak minded, convince them to do deeds they would never do."

"How bad can they be?" Danny asked incredulously, rubbing his hands up and down his arms. He didn't like being here. There was something… off about this place. He wanted to leave. Now.

"Do you ever have a great want, an urge so strong, but you must hide it?"

"Of course, everybody does." After all, wants and needs are what make humans human.

"Well," Frostbite explained, "with the Sins loose, they can control those urges, make them follow their needs. If Greed gets a hold of a human's heart, he could manipulate them into taking any amount of item, regardless of the consequence. Envy can cause a jealous mind to cause mass destruction."

"Got it, so the Sins are actually super powerful and can destroy the world together," Danny muttered darkly. "Is that why they're used to seal away Ragnarok?"

"Believe me, Great One," Frostbite promised, "they do not actually want to cause harm. They are rather immature and only wish to play."

"Well, their play time is over," Danny said angrily. "What kind of rocks do I need to seal these guys up? No way I'm letting a bunch of old ghosts bother my friends and family." Besides, Dan was still out there. If he could fix the problem with the released ghosts quick, then he could spend more time looking for his past future self. Whoa… Past future self? That just sounded like a time paradox in Danny's head.

A shimmer appeared next to the two ghosts. Clockwork popped into view through his purple portal, a grim expression set on his face. "Time has run out," he whispered. Waving his staff, he gestured for Danny to go through. "It is not safe here, you must go."

"Wait, but I still have questions," Danny argued. "How am I supposed to capture these ghosts if I don't even know what to catch them with."

"They can be sealed in a specific gems, Great One," Frostbite called to him as he was ushered through the portal. "You've saved the Ghost Zone before. You can do it again."

The Ghost Zone shimmered away as he passed through the portal. The dark sky disappeared in a flash of purple, and suddenly, he was back in his room. The cold feeling he had back in the catacombs was replaced with a feeling of comfort, of being home. He blinked and the purple portal vanished without a trace. Glancing at his clock, he was surprised to see that what felt like hours in the dark prisons was only twenty minutes at home. Of course, it could just be Clockwork, making sure no one realized he was missing.

Just then, he heard his name and the click of his door opening. Panicked, he quickly changed back to his human form and jumped in bed, lifting his covers over his head. The door slowly creaked open and somebody walked in. Breathing slowly to feign sleep, he felt that somebody stand next to him. "Danny, I know you're awake," an annoyed voice said.

"Oh, hey, Jazz." Danny stretched his arms out and faked a yawn. "Did you just get back?"

Jazz lifted her brows as she looked at her brother's enormous bags under his eyes. "Why didn't you wake up the first time I called you?"

Danny shrugged. "Must not have heard you. Is dinner ready?"

"Yeah, mom sent me to-"

"Great, thanks." Danny jumped out of bed and hurried out of his room in a flash. "Come on, I'm starving!" he called from the stairs.

The elder Fenton child rolled her eyes and sighed, closing the door to her brother's room. She would corner him and ask him question later, _after_ their ghost hunting parents when to bed.

* * *

"Okay, spill."

After scarfing down his dinner, Danny had been relaxing in bed, just about ready to go to sleep, when Jazz burst into his room. It took everything in his power not to yelp and fall out of bed. Usually he would have felt her walking over to his room, but today, he had too much news swimming around in his head.

"What happened," she demanded. "Why didn't you wake up? Were you even in the room?" Her eyes widened. "Were there ghosts bothering you in town?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Danny reassured her. "It's complicated, Jazz, can I tell you in the morning? I'm kinda tired…"

Jazz gave her brother a quick look, and a wave of sympathy flooded over her. To say he was a little tired would be an understatement. Dark bags clung under his eyes and his shoulders were set in a permanent droop. His baby blue eyes lost their usual spark and were replaced with stress and worry. "Alright," Jazz finally agreed. "But don't think I won't keep pestering you tomorrow."

"I'll be expecting it," Danny chuckled back humorlessly. "Good night, Jazz."

"Good night, baby brother," she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left his room, turning off the light before she left. She gently closed the door behind her as she went back to her own room.

A small smile twitched on Danny's lip. He wanted to get Sam and Tucker so he could explain to them all at once what their new mission was. Of course, he would keep the news about Dan to himself. He didn't want them to worry.

A shock went through his body as he felt someone's-or something's- piercing gaze from behind him. Spinning and creating an ectoplasmic ball in his hand, he raised it, ready to attack.

Nothing.

The glowing ball in his hand cast green shadows around his room. The usual comfortable look his room held was suddenly thrown into a status of disarray. The shadows looked like eyes and figures, haunting him, _watching_ him.

Extinguishing his attack as quickly as he had created it, he wrapped himself up with his thick blankets, shivering under his covers. The invisible gazes made him feel cold, no matter how tightly he wrapped up in the duvet.

"Time out."

The still night froze. Danny's clock stopped ticking. The leaves drifting off the trees stopped in midair. Clockwork drifted out of his portal and made his way to the foot of Danny's bed. He dropped a small brown sack on the floor, making sure that it was in a position that the boy could see it when he woke up in the morning. The contents in the bag would explain everything in the morning. Flying closer to his troubled friend, He reached into his pocket and sprinkled some sleeping dust over Danny's eyes, courtesy of a favor from Nocturne. This would guarantee the child a peaceful night, deep sleep and no dreams.

"Time in."

The Time Master disappeared through another portal just as fast as he had appeared. Time resumed, the leaves finally drifting to the ground outside. Danny blinked and felt drowsiness overtake him. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he tried to blink away the sleepiness. He could still feel the gaze on him, burning him with hatred. But the tiredness today was stronger. Giving in, he closed his eyes. He was asleep before his head hit the pillows.

* * *

 **I wasn't really sure how this story would do, tbh ^^ so I kinda forgot about it...**

 **But here's another chapter for those who are interested~**

 **Despite this being a pretty old cartoon, it makes me really happy to see that there are still so many people that follow it! My actual childhood OMG TvT**

 **Favorite, Like, Comment please~~**


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